A year end message from Dan Isenberg

2014 Year In Review

A year end message from Dan Isenberg

In 2014 Scale Up Milwaukee emerged as a leader in the global dialog on fostering entrepreneurship. Scale Up Milwaukee’s vision and activities are directly impacting the economic development thinking of leaders in Europe, the UK, and the US: Scale Up UK, Scale Up Europe, and Scale Up America, were all directly inspired by Scale Up Milwaukee. In fact, Scale Up Milwaukee was featured in the launch of the Scale Up Report in London, as well as in the US State Department’s latest global communique to all of its offices around the world. The Scale Up vision also inspired Scale Up Nation in the Economist, Scale Up KC! in Kansas City, a Scale Up program piloted in Cleveland, and the Global Scale Up Declaration. Yes, there is a lot more work to do to get Milwaukee back to the vibrant industrial growth that made Milwaukee famous. But already the social innovation of Scale Up Milwaukee is a source of inspiration and the visitors have already started to come.

The goal of 60 companies entering into new rapid growth trajectories by 2020 is not a fantasy: Most of the 27 Scalerator companies are growing. Together they have about $85 million in sales, and a 20-25% growth rate. At the December 17th Steering Council meeting one “Scaler” announced a new contract with a leading health center on the East Coast that will double its 2015 revenues. The large corporate community (representing a combined market cap of over $150 billion dollars), is also engaging growth in Milwaukee in new ways, and a “ScaleCorps” pilot is planned for Q1 2015. Stay tuned for further engagement by universities, public leaders, and the regions many world-class professionals.

Scale Up Milwaukee, under Elmer Moore’s leadership, has also scaled up its own team, with new communications, program management, and project administration staff. I personally look forward to growing with all of you in the New Year, and we will hit the ground running coming January.